Martin's Iris
by nature'smusic
Summary: Along time ago in Tortall, Martin is always watched, and hated, by the king, what happens when he falls in love with the princess? Rating for later Chapters
1. Prologe

**OK so this is Tortall just like 100 years ago, not much was different except, of coarse, the characters. I don't like to use the same ones because I liked them just the way Tamora Pierce did them. Kaara is like Jonathan's great-great-great-great-great-grandmother. But don't say it doesn't have to do with Tamora Piece. **

Martin's Iris

**Prologue:**

Martin heard his mother's screams from outside, his father was yelling something but the pounding of his heart was drowning it out. He wiped sweat from his cold brow and licked his cracked lips. His father had a long sword in his hand.

"No, God no, please no!" His mother screamed, the look in Martin's father's eyes was unbearable, rabid almost… Martin looked away. Suddenly everything was silent except for Martin's own sobs.

"Mother!" he yelled running out to the garden. His father stared at this mother's now crumpled and lifeless body.

Blood was everywhere covering his mouth Martin stifled a scream…by his father's foot lay his the head of his mother, her mouth open in a scream of horror and pain. Her eyes were still filled with fear. Martin bent to his knees and covered his eyes.

"Mother, mother!" he cried, then he looked up at his father, eyes red: "Why did you?" he spat.

"The graveyard hag damn that adultress." was all his father said as he slowly trudged into the house.

In the morning Martin buried her body under her favorite willow tree. Where she used to help him climb and play all the games he wanted to play. The eight year old slowly dug. Lifting his mother's body into the pit with the head in a bag he looked much older, more mature. You would never have guessed he was the same carefree boy the day before who had played a knight game with his mother, one of the queens most favored ladies in waiting.

A tear fell onto the dead woman's breast. Wiping his eyes Martin pushed dirt into the hole. He made another hole with his finger on the grave and set a single iris seed. He cared for the flower until winter when it died, leaving new seeds to take it's place, he would always care for the iris' on his mother's grave

Gradually Martin learned that his mother had been a mistress of the king and as soon as his father learned he killed her on the charges of adultery. The king of Tortall wept and was angry at Martin's father but could do nothing since Naomi, Martin's mother, was an adulteress therefore the killing was not counted as murder, but the king kept his evil eye on Martin's father; which is why he was hung for first-degree murder of one of the kings men no more than a year later, guilty? No one knew.

Martin was an orphan… whom the king paid far too much attention too, for "he was the offspring of devils who had made the king's life a living hell." He wanted that boy dead…

**I hope you will send me reviews!**


	2. Kaara1

Disclaimer: Guess. Don't steal my stuff, you can do all the things you want with Tamora's.

Chapter 1

**Kaara**

Martin was in the palace garden practicing with his sword. He quickly sheathed it when he heard a man yelling. A guard was chasing a girl, he was jeering at her wanting her to kiss him, and maybe more.

She was hooded with only her eyes showing on her face. She stopped suddenly and turning around to look at the man.

"Come on, I know you do want me," the man smirked.

"Be quiet." The girl glared at him.

"Don't be-" he was cut-off when he fell down as if pushed.

"Get away from me!" she yelled, the man looked stunned.

"Hey." He said, not making any move to leave, but as he tried to take a breath he couldn't. He looked like a goldfish, trying to gulp in the air; then suddenly he dropped to the ground, now breathing. He stared in surprise at the girl as he got up and ran off.

She relaxed, Martin looked at her in surprise and admiration. That was strong magic. Getting a hold of his wits he stepped closer: "How did you do that?" he inquired.

The girl spun around but seeing he was not a threat she held her head up answering, "I have the Gift."

"I mean what was the last thing you did there?"

"Oh, I created an air tight orb around him and he couldn't breath." She inspected her fingernails. And played with the opal in her hand.

"Sure scared him," Martin laughed.

"Yeah," she raised her eyebrows as she said it, "Are you a squire?" Motioning towards his sword.

"Knight." Martin corrected.

"How old are you?" she asked, he seemed a little young to already be a knight.

"I'm 15, but I started training when my father died, I was nine." He brushed his fingers through his hair.

"Only took six years…" she cocked her head.

"Five." Martin was quick to correct her. "I got my shield when I was 14."

"You must be really good."

"Well, yeah I am-I mea-" he stopped hearing the girl stifle a giggle; her hazel eyes sparkled with laughter. '_Her eyes are beautiful,' _Martin thought, he stared at her but as she started noticing her shook his head away.

She jumped as the lunch bell rang. "I need to leave," she said, a little worried. "My name is Kaara."

The name sounded familiar, he said it again trying to place it. She heard and as if answering his thoughts:

"The princess of Tortall can't be late." She walked off, Martin staring after her.

The princess… he couldn't believe it, his hands fell to his sides, limp. He had to sit down. On the bench he took three deep breaths before going in to eat lunch.

_'What if she waves and giggles with her servants when I come in?'_ He thought before getting to the main hall,_ 'it would have no affect on me,'_ he decided although walking in his head was hung so she might not recognize him.

Martin sat by his page, when he began to feel comfortable and looked up to see where Kaara was sitting. She looked a bit nervous as she turned her head, their eyes locked.

Her golden hair caught the sunlight beautifully, she might try and embarrass him now but he couldn't pull away. Her hazel eyes had flecks of green and her full lips were neither smiling nor frowning. Her nervous smile as she turned away told him she would have never done anything to make him feel uncomfortable.

_'How could I have thought that she would do anything like that?'_ He thought, appalled with himself. Kaara was now talking with a lady in waiting about her age, 15. She laughed at something the lady said…

A pinch drew him out of dreamland. It was Garrett, his best friend. He was 16 and a squire he was muscular and great at getting girls (unlike Martin), in fact he had one hanging off him right now.

"Don't stare at girls." He warned," Also if I followed your gaze correctly, DEFINITELY not that one." Martin smiled.

"Yes." He said, but wasn't really listening.


	3. Learning2

**Disclaimer: As I said. Refrain from stealing, if you please.**

**Chapter 2**

**Learning**

Martin lay in bed thinking about Kaara, she was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. Sure some of the other girls at court were pretty but until now he had never even had much interest in girls. The way her golden hair would catch the light and her beautiful hazel eyes were so intelligent... but she was off limits. It was not hard to learn that the king hated him once his father had died and that he would always be watching him. It was obvious to him that the king tried to keep a close eye on him.

'_How could he be so stupid to fall in love with the princess?' _He thought _'Well maybe it isn't my fault, I loved her even before I saw anything but her eyes. I would have kept a safe distance if I knew who she was, wouldn't I have?' _

But he didn't know, she was like an apple in the Garden of Eden, but he couldn't compare her to an apple, no, she was smart, and unique, she wasn't exactly like all the other apples in the tree. Finally Martin worried himself to sleep.

As soon as Martin got up he went to the fighting room to help Garrett practice. Garrett was practicing into the air when Martin came in, he turned around to scare Martin with a sword at the throat but Martin was too fast. Silently Martin drew his blade when he saw Garrett's hips begin to turn, as Garrett turned all the way around Martin caught his blade trying to go up at his throat and in one quick motion he brought Garrett and his sword clattering on the ground.

"How the hell do you do that?" Garrett asked panting on the ground.

"You can tell if somebody is going to turn around by how their hips are moving." Martin helped him up, "also the person usually stops for a split second with what he's doing before turning around."

"Just demonstrate, too many words clog up my brain." Garrett laughed.

"All right," Martin began, "I'm in a duel with you…I've fallen on the ground with my sword on the floor. What do you do?"

"I'm a knight and wait patiently till he's on his feet with sword in hand." Garrett recited. Martin smiled at his annoyed friend.

"As you're waiting I pick up my sword," Martin let his sword clatter to the ground as he falls to his knees. Then picking it up he stood up still not facing Garrett. "You don't stab me in the back, right?" He waited for Garrett to nod. "Watch my hips…"

Garrett caught his sword and started to bring it down, quickly Martin stepped to the side and back pulling his sword out. "That was a stupid move." Garrett criticized.

"Yes it was I also want to tell you try and back him into a corner, he will be alarmed at how quick you are and will probably not be thinking enough to resist." Martin brought his sword back up for a practice fight

Although Garrett was a year older than Martin he didn't mind when Martin helped him and talked things through with him. Unlike some other knights in training Martin being really good and also being young did not irk him, instead he was glad for a teacher who was better at him in fighting but Garrett could still give pointers in other things.

Outside Martin was watering the iris' he sat down, stroking them as if they _were_ his mother's soul, and to him they were. He heard somebody come behind him a hand simultaneously went to his sword handle but as he turned around he found there was no threat… it was Kaara.

"Hi." She said nervously. Martin ignored her, he couldn't talk to her so he turned back around. A small winged horse flew down and sat in the shade of the Iris patch. Kaara bit her nails, and wiped her hands on her hood, pulling it off.

"I saw you at lunch." She said, trying to start a conversation. He bit his lip to keep from talking to her. Sitting down by him she added, "I know why you won't talk to me."

He raised his eyebrows _'Right, because you didn't tell me you were the princess before, no that isn't the reason.'_

"When I was eight it was to hard for my nurses to keep what was happening away from me. Why my father was so sad all the time, finally they gave in and told me about your mother, but it wasn't until your father died that I learned about you." She waited to see if he would say anything, when he didn't she went on. "They told me all about you when I asked why you lived here, your father had only been a knight, hardly important enough for you to stay here. You were Naomi's son I learned. You buried her, and planted these iris'."

Biting back tears Martin twirled a blade of grass between his fingers, he couldn't cry in front of a girl. Why was she plaguing him with these memories in the first place?

"My father is always watching you so he would try and kill you if he saw you with me, right, or is it me?" she inquired. When Martin still didn't say anything she pulled back on the hood. "Nobody will know who I am." She waited, licking her lips.

"Oh please Martin, talk to me!" she wiped angry tears out of her eyes. Still Martin would not talk.

Kaara wanted to order him, to make him talk to her but if he was going to be like that then fine, his loss. She got up and walked away.

After she had left Martin silently cried his heart out, he really liked her, just why did he parents have to screw up so badly? Did they have any idea what this would do to him? He loved her, and would probably never see her again.

The next day Martin sat on the bench and threw rocks at a tree, he felt somebody cast a shadow over him but didn't look up. The girl sat down beside him, not saying anything. Soon she picked up a rock and threw it at the tree. It hit the perfect middle, then, picking up another one, she threw it over hand and it went right into an abandon bird's nest.

Martin looked over dreading who it would be, the girl had on a grey hood and a white skirt. Her hazel eyes gazed into his face. Kaara.

As he got up to go away she grabbed his hand, "Martin." She pleaded. He shook it off but sat back down.

"Martin?" she asked, "Can you teach me how to fight? With daggers, not a sword and just punching and things too?" Martin leaned on his arm.

"Sure." He said.

"Oh, THANK YOU!" Kaara was overjoyed, "Tonight will you teach me some?" she asked.

"Yeah, when?" Martin looked over at her.

"At sunset, I will also teach you how to see magic, that could be helpful." she smiled and took a deep breath but didn't leave. She just stayed there sitting by him in silence. About a half hour later of just sitting, not talking Kaara finally said.

"I'm sorry I said all that stuff about your parents, I just wanted you to talk to me. I wasn't trying to bring back bad memories… I also know you were there when she died sooo..." A tear fell on an iris petal. Kaara put her arm around Martin, surprised at himself he did not shrug it off.

"It's fine." He said.

"You do know that people's magic shows in colors right…"

It was past sunset and Martin was just tip toeing to the garden and under the weeping willow (yes the one that's his mom's favorite) there was Kaara. She wasn't wearing her hood because most people were inside, instead she was wearing a silver silk dress with a lily behind one ear, her hair was out and she was twirling it around one finger.

Martin stared, he wanted to grab her, swoop her up and kiss her. But no, he wasn't here for romance, he was going to teach her. He just looked; it didn't occur to him that she was thinking he wouldn't come-

"Oh, Martin you're here!" she smiled, "I was afraid you weren't coming."

"Sorry about that." He looked at the iris bed and back up at Kaara, "It was hard to get away with out anybody asking questions but I waited till everyone who would care was either drunk or in bed."

She laughed, "That is fine."

"Here," he handed her a throwing knife, "these are different then rocks, some are heavier on one side then the other so you have to hold them so it is perfectly balanced." She took the knife and inspected it. "That is whether it is right where the blade and handle meet, somewhere on the handle, or at the blade."

She held it, balanced perfectly, in a fist, as she was about to throw Martin stopped her, stepping I front. "What say you," he held a hand in front of his face, "I teach you how to hold it first. Just- just to prolong your life span."

Kaara doubled over in laughter, and handed it to him. He took it, smiling. "Well aim your thumb where you're throwing it." He looked at her, "Here." He wrapped her fingers in the right place and put her thumb facing the right way, holding her hand around that.

They suddenly stopped laughing, as he was taking his hand away she held his hand. Martin bit his lip. She pulled away giggling nervously and aimed… it would have hit but Martin was surprised that she hadn't cut her foot off.

He smiled, "Hold it by your ear." She tried again, this time it went to far. "Aaaaaggghh." He faked. Laughing Kaara tried again, this time she hit the tree on the side.

"Good job!" Kaara smiled at her accomplishment.

"Now you!" she said, pulling a hand through her hair.

"Ummm, come again?" He said. Kaara laughed at him.

"I'm teaching you to see magic," when she paused Marvin raised one eyebrow, "It will be useful to know if somebody had the Gift or not. If you know whether something is magic or not."

"So how do I do it?" Marvin's brows were furrowed in thought.

"Well actually I have a magic that can make you see it since you don't have the Gift, but you have to learn how to see it." She said taking a deep breath, he could tell she was focusing on something but didn't know what then he felt like something was coming to him.

"Well what do you see?" Kaara asked sitting down.

"Nothing," he saw Kaara's eyebrows raise, "I mean I see you here," _'As beautiful as ever'_ he thought, "And the grass, and irises and tree, but nothing out of the ordinary." Kaara sighed. She did something and the tree bent then sprung back to its original state.

"Did you see that?" she wiped her forehead with the back of her hand. Eyes coming just about out of his head Marvin said:

"The tree bending, yeah." He backed away, not knowing she was so strong in the Gift.

"Damnit this is going to be hard." She muttered. "Alright concentrate on me, just think about how I look, nothing else."

"Alright." He stared at her, this was easy, to think of nothing but how the girl he loved looked. But he couldn't concentrate on something he had already concentrated on before so instead he tried to find something bad about her.

First he looked at her nose, stubbornly prominent but made her look incredibly intelligent. Her eyes. Oh her eyes, he could go on about those forever but her eyebrows… nope nothing. He looked at her breasts, nothing. Ribs, was she too skinny? A little bit fat maybe? No perfect too, her legs…she was strong, you could tell but her thighs weren't too big either-then something caught his eye he quickly looked at her face, it was gone. He concentrated on her ears then to her neck, it was at a perfect curve-THERE something was glowing he stared more at her; her whole body was amber glowing.

He must have been looking for a while because finally Kaara got up. "Now you're just staring at me," she sighed. "This isn't working."

"No your amber." He said quietly.

"That's my magic! Yes!" Kaara clapped her hands, her voice echoed throughout the court. She looked down. "I guess nobody's here." She said.

"Yeah we had better go back to bed." He said. As he was about to leave she caught his arm. He turned around.

Realizing what she had done she dropped it. "I'll go first and then in about ten minutes you go. That way no one will know we were together."

'Dang she's smart' he thought. "Sure, same time tomorrow?" he asked.

"No if it is at the same time everyone will find out in time. Tomorrow just after breakfast." She said, nodding at her idea.

"Good-bye." He called after her.


	4. In Kaara's Chambers3

**Chapter 3**

**In Kaara's Chambers**

Kaara arrived in her room to find her ladies in waiting worried about her.

"Where have you been?" one bedraggled woman managed to say, hugging Kaara "The king-"

"Oh, you didn't tell father did you?" Kaara patted the woman's back.

"No, but where were you anyway?" the lady in waiting insisted with crossed arms. Kaara giggled but did not answer the question. "I know that you were not out with boys kissing and such irrespirable behaviors." Her lady then added, "So what was it?"

"I've been practicing this:" suddenly Kaara pulled up her arms as if enveloping herself in something, then, suddenly, she disappeared.

"MY LADY!" the lady yelled in anguish. Then as Kaara reappeared and the woman relaxed, "That is strong magic ma' lady, I didn't know you were that skilled in the Gift."

"Ah, of coarse she is with her mother a-" The other lady put her finger to the servant's lips. "A…a being so smart she is smart enough to use it." The lady in waiting smiled.

"My mother had the Gift!" Her Majesty Alana had died when Kaara was nine, a year after Martin's mother. Alana never really took care of Kaara because The King wanted Kaara to always be with her tutor.

"Oh yes!" said the servant Mara, "she was very skilled, before she became queen she was a black robe."

"Mithros shut you up." The lady in waiting murmured, then louder to Kaara, "But that's all behind us majesty. Lets get to bed." Kaara sighed as they undressed her and threw on the nightgown, but as soon as the womans's breathing slowed she got up.

Creating a double in the bed she quietly crept out to the hall mirror. She stared into it and muttered something.

She saw a man with purple eyes and red hair fighting another man who was very strong in the Gift, as the wizard slashed at the other man's chest it became apparent that he was a woman. Even though it wasn't allowed she saw something glowing in orange, it must have been the man's magic. Just as the woman was about to kill him she saw something else…

The woman knight was coming into battle; on her shield was a lioness. There was a dragon in the air and a girl. She had brown thick hair and at her throat hung a silver claw, the girl didn't seem to be doing much on the outside but it became more obvious when animals were fighting that this girl, no more then 14, had Wild Magic. A bird with the front half human and feathers metal swooped down and slashed at her…

On a throne sat a man, he had deep sapphire eyes, he was a king of Tortall. _'He's beautiful.'_ Kaara thought this not as she thought Martin was beautiful but as a mother would love a son. By this man's side was a queen, the most beautiful woman Kaara had seen, her eyes showed deep intelligence. "He chose well." Kaara whispered.

This was Tortall in the future, it was doing well, better than she would have imagined. Maybe she would become queen because there were no other siblings. It could work. Even though there were many wars Tortall was in good hands.

Proud, Kaara walked back into her room pulling the covers up to her chin to dream about Martin.

Martin waited ten minutes but decided not to go it, no one would wonder. Curling up in the willow he fell asleep.


	5. Love4

**Chapter 4**

**Love**

Martin woke up at sunrise, the beauty of it made him think of Kaara. Quickly he jumped out of the tree, moaning as his legs hit the ground. In his chambers he hurriedly got dressed for breakfast.

"Hey," Garrett slapped him on the back, "you didn't come back last night. Where were you?"

"I slept in the willow tree." Martin yawned and tried not to look up to see where Kaara was.

"I don't even want to hear the truth really." Garrett chuckled. Martin raised his eyebrows. _'Right, that's only because you could get your head chopped off if you knew such information.'_

His page sat beside him with a bowl full of oatmeal. "I hope this stuff is edible." He muttered. Martin just smiled at him, and, not having his breakfast he got up.

"Ouch." He cried as somebody hit him in the shoulder.

"Shut up why don't ya, and meet at the same place, right?" Kaara whispered. "Sorry." She said louder so it would look like an accident.

"What do you want, I'll talk to you after breakfast." Martin hissed picking up his plate and walking back to his table.

Garrett and Ceric, Martin's page, were laughing. "Have a little brush with death?" Garrett laughed. "Or _was_ that an accident?" Ceric added.

"Of coarse." Martin said jabbing them both in the stomach with he elbow.

Martin was the first to the tree this time, at first he wasn't worried but once it had been 15 minutes since he had gotten there he began to feel uneasy. If this was so hard to do, get out with no questions asked, then maybe it was dangerous.

A tiny kurrok flew down and lit on Martin's shoulder. Her played with it and stroked its fur. "When will she be here?" he said to it. As if answering him she came through the branches.

"Sorry I'm late," Kaara had on a black shawl and hood, "my lady wouldn't let me out of the main hall." She blushed.

"That's fine, I was thinking if this is so hard to do maybe we-" Martin began.

"No, it' fine, I _like_ being with you." Kaara whispered, drawing closer to him. Martin had no time to say anything before he lips were pressed against his.

Surprised at himself instead of pushing her away he held her. When she stopped to get a breath neither pulled away. Then they heard voices. Martin quickly pushed her away and looked out. It was Garrett and Ceric, looking for him.

"Stay here, try and hide, it's my friends." As Martin left Kaara blinked out, invisible.

"There he is!" Garrett said.

"With the flowers again." Ceric moaned but didn't make fun of him.

"Anyway," Garrett pushed in, "We need you, somebody wants to duel you."

"Sure." Martin said softly. "I'll be there in a second."

"No, now." Ceric grabbed his arm and walked toward the duel room. Martin sighed looking back at where Kaara was, and left.

The duel wasn't much, just some guy who had heard Martin was the best knight wanted to see if this was true. Well it was, the man died just seven minutes into the battle. But Martin would have won even faster if his mind had been on what he was doing, but he couldn't stop thinking about Kaara.

He would never see her again she wouldn't- but it wasn't him, it had been she that had kissed him first, not him kissing her.

Practicing sword fighting under the tree somebody came up behind him. Turning quickly he put his sword to her throat.

Kaara screamed. And covered her mouth.

"Sorry," Martin said quietly. "I didn't know it was you." He sheathed his sword.

"That's fine, I was just scared." Kaara giggled nervously, "Can you see anything on me."

He was about to say, nothing but beauty, but remembered what he was supposed to see. This time it was easy, she became amber right away. "Yes, your magic." He nodded.

"Good, it took long enough last time." Then Martin felt himself being lifted about a centimeter of the ground, as it happened he saw amber shoot for him. "Except you were supposed to move when you saw it, which I think you did." Kaara said letting him down.

"Yeah, I did." He stared at his feet in wonder.

"Well if someone does something like that if you don't know the person get out of the way." She tried again, this time it just barely hit Martin. After awhile of doing that Martin helped Kaara with punching.

While showing her how to hold her hand while punching; she grabbed his hand whispering, "Show me." He grabbed her around and pressed his soft lips against hers. She moaned in love, pressing her body against his they kissed. Pulling away to breath Kaara whispered, "Oh Martin, I love you." Before they were kissing again.

Every day it would go like that, they would teach each other some but before long they were kissing again.

One day, about 10 months later, Kaara was throwing a knife, Martin would throw one into the tree then Kaara would try and get her knife to stick in Martin's. Kaara hit his knife right on. Putting his arm around her waist Martin pulled Kaara to him in a tight embrace. She pulled away saying, "We can't do this."

"I know." Martin answered kissing her all over.

Kaara giggled as Martin licked her ear, then he pushed her onto the bed and kissed her solidly. Their breathing was slower. Both were now 16, in Kaara's chambers, for the first time somewhere besides the willow.

Suddenly the king stormed, seeing Martin on top of Kaara. Martin jumped up "What th- BY THE GODS! Is that Martin?" the king yelled and grabbed his arm…

**That's it so far. Hope ya like it! This is my first story on this site.**


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